Long-term unemployment down in the Netherlands

In 2016, long-term unemployment fell compared with the previous year. It is the first decline in long-term unemployment since 2009, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports. The number of long-term unemployed was also down among the over-55s, albeit less significantly than among younger age groups.

After six years of rising long-term unemployment, the number of long-term jobless declined to 216 thousand in 2016. This was 259 thousand in 2015. Whereas among the under-55 age groups a modest decline set in one year earlier, among over-55s the number still rose by 12 thousand to a total of 88 thousand long-term unemployed.

Circumstances are similar to the previous period of rising unemployment, more than ten years ago. At the time, the number of older long-term unemployed continued to increase as well. The difference now is that there are relatively more long-term unemployed over the age of 55. In other age groups, the increase over the past few years was smaller than in the past.